Point-Blank
by exquizitebritt
Summary: Caroline is excited to be the new homicide detective for MFPD. That is, until she meets Sergeant Niklaus Mikaelson. While everyone is impressed with her keen detective skills, Sergeant gives her a hard time. When her friends become accomplices in her first homicide case, Caroline straddles allegiance between proving that she is the best detective and her friends' innocence.
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis:**

Caroline is excited to be the new homicide detective for MFPD. That is, until she meets Sergeant Niklaus Mikaelson. While everyone is impressed with her keen detective skills, Sergeant gives her a hard time. When her friends become accomplices in her first homicide case, Caroline straddles allegiance between proving that she is the best detective and her friends' innocence.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I want to give a shout out to Hana for being my beta! She helped to make this story better and easy to read!

This is my second klaroline fan fiction. I really hope you dolls enjoy this one. Please let me know what you think, and if I should continue!

Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Congratulations," filled the room when Caroline walked into the police department that morning. She'd just been promoted from police officer to detective and from vice work to homicide cases. Now, she didn't have to work undercover on the streets. She was thrilled when she was offered the position and accepted it almost immediately. Having the chance to work on homicide cases was a big deal for her. Her mother would have been so proud of where Caroline was at that moment.

She was a bit anxious to come to work. She'd be working with new co-workers, in a different department – and in a different floor in the building. She carried a box of her belongings from her old desk and walked stiffly to the homicide department. Her friends from the vice department were sad to see her go, but congratulated her for moving higher up on the chain of command.

She took one deep breath before the elevator doors opened. When the doors parted, she walked forward, and everyone around her seemed too busy to even look her way. They were either on their computers or doing something else.

She saw an empty desk and presumed it was hers. Just when she was about to put her stuff down, somebody called her name and she turned to them abruptly.

"Forbes," a man's voice called out.

She looked up and saw a man with brown hair dressed in a suit, standing with his hands behind his back. Guessing from his stern expression and elegant suit, she guessed he was her new lieutenant, Elijah Mikaelson – the Captain's younger brother.

"Yes?" She squeaked nervously.

"Come into my office," He instructed before he turned away from her.

Caroline dropped her stuff and followed the man down the aisle and into the only office. She walked in and shut the doors behind her. The blinds were already shut and the man went to sit in his seat. He gestured at the seat across from him and she sat down, making sure to keep a good posture.

"I hear you did exceptional work in vice," Elijah commented.

Caroline smiled politely. "Yes. I strive to do the best in every case I tackle. There's nothing that bothers me more than not solving something in front of me," She said, like a dedicated police officer.

"Good. I trust you to do well. The Captain brought your profile history to me and I was impressed."

"Thank you," She thanked him.

"Today is the day I give you your official shield," Elijah told her, pulling out a box from his desk. He removed the lid and slid it to her. "Congratulations, Detective Forbes."

Caroline stared at the gold shield with a broad grin plastered on her face. She'd been waiting for this moment. She no longer had to wear her silver badge anymore. This gold shield made it official. She grabbed it and strapped it around her neck, letting her shield hang over her chest.

"Follow me," Elijah said, standing up from his seat.

Caroline stood from her seat and followed Lieutenant Mikaelson outside. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Everyone, I need your attention."

Everyone dropped what they were doing and gathered around Elijah and Caroline, waiting for the news.

"I'd like you all to meet our new detective, Caroline Forbes," he said, gesturing at her.

Caroline smiled politely at all of them, and gave a small wave.

"Caroline, you will be assigned to a team with two other detectives. One of those detectives will be your partner, Kol, and the other, Matt, will work alone, alongside you two," he explained. "Show yourselves," he told the two detectives.

A blonde man with the bluest eyes came through the crowd and extended a hand to Caroline. He wore a shield around his neck, and it rested over his blue button down shirt. It really brought out his eyes, Caroline thought. He seemed too nice to be a cop or a detective.

"This is Detective Donovan," Elijah introduced them as Caroline and Matt shook hands.

"Don't forget about me," a young brunet man said behind Matt.

Caroline looked to Elijah and caught him rolling his eyes. The brunet man shook her hand too shakily as he tried to be playful. He was dressed in some khaki pants and a red button down shirt, with a shield on his belt, next to his gun holster. Caroline assumed all the guys had to dress nicely here which was a lot different from the vice department.

"This is Detective Mikaelson, also known as your partner," Elijah informed her.

"Mikaelson. You two are brothers?" Caroline speculated.

Elijah sighed. "Unfortunately,"

"Now, don't be like that, Lieutenant Mikaelson," Kol chided, playfully, which only earned him a glare from Elijah. He turned to Caroline and said, "Don't worry, darling. You and I will have lots of fun together."

Elijah cleared his throat again. "Your commanding sergeant seems to be out at the moment, but you will meet him soon enough. Now, all of you carry on."

Elijah walked back to his office, and Caroline walked back to her desk. As she settled down, she noticed Kol's desk was next to hers and Matt's desk was right across the aisle from hers.

"So, darling, I hear you were the best in vice work," Kol complimented, as he took a seat on the edge of her desk.

"Thanks," Caroline replied.

"But you know. Since we're partners I think it's fair to warn you that I'm quite the detective," Kol said, arrogantly.

Matt snorted out loud from across the aisle. "Yeah, right." He tried to contain his laughter. "Don't worry, Forbes. The only reason you two were assigned partners is to keep Kol in line."

Caroline laughed a little when Kol gave Matt a childish glare – like he was being teased.

Suddenly the phones went ringing. Matt answered his and nodded along to whatever the person on the line told him. He dropped the phone and looked to Caroline and Kol.

"Ready?" He questioned the two.

"Ready, Freddie," Kol replied, playfully.

Before Caroline got up, she strapped on her holster onto her belt. A smile surfaced on her face, because it was her first time wearing her shield and her first homicide case.

* * *

Caroline, Kol, and Matt arrived at the crime scene. The crime scene was located in the center of the little town of Mystic Falls. There were yellow plastic block offs, forming a square in the grass. When they neared the scene, they got a closer look of a woman, with a bullet to her head lying on the grass. A blonde woman with medium length hair handed them some latex gloves to put on, before they went behind the yellow "caution" border. She gave Caroline a curious look, before walking away.

A man with dark blonde hair, dressed in a Henley shirt stood above the body. His golden shield rested on his chest and he wore a dual holster, which each holster next his pecs. He didn't look up to see them enter. Next to him, was a long, curly haired brunette taking pictures of the body.

Matt walked around the body, as did Kol. Caroline took a look at the body for a moment, and then she looked around her, for the surroundings.

"It's about time you two got here," the dark blonde haired man spoke. He looked up at the two men, and then noticed Caroline, looking around – not at the body.

"Who the hell is that?" He demanded.

"My new partner, Sergeant!" Kol exclaimed, smiling at the dark blonde haired man.

"Lieutenant assigned her to our team. She transferred from vice and was promoted to detective. Detective Caroline Forbes. " Matt informed him.

"She doesn't seem to take much interest in the crime scene," the brunette noted, taking her eye off the camera viewer for a second.

The sergeant ignored the new detective for the time being and resumed his attention on the victim.

"Any idea on who she is?" Sergeant questioned.

"Piper Reid," the medium length blonde haired girl answered. "She was in my Pilates class. Such a shame, she was very sweet. I don't know how she ended up like this."

"Rebekah, when you and Katherine head back to the station make sure to check all of Piper's close contacts. We need to bring them in for questioning," he instructed her.

The blonde nodded in response.

"How long has she been here?" Kol asked.

"Judging by the slight warmth of her body, I'd say she was just killed prior to the call," the brunette answered.

"We received the call at 8:02 AM. Several people called reporting the sound of a gunshot," Matt informed everyone.

"A bullet to the head was enough to end her life," Rebekah commented.

"No other wounds. No signs of strangulation or smothering. No witnesses," the Sergeant said, sounding a little frustrated. "We need to figure out how a woman was able to get shot in broad daylight, without any witnesses! We have no leads! We have no suspects!"

"Mayor Tyler Lockwood," Caroline spoke up, approaching them.

"Excuse me?" he responded.

"I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself, my name is –"

"Detective Forbes," he finished for her. "I am your commanding Sergeant, Niklaus Mikaelson, but people refer to me as Sergeant Mikaelson or Sergeant Klaus."

Mikaelson? Another Mikaelson. That was the third one she's met today. She's been so isolated in the vice department. She knew Captain Finn Mikaelson had family working at the department, but she didn't expect to meet all of them today and learn they're her new co-workers.

But boy did the Mikaelson men sure have good looks. She's only seen Captain Finn Mikaelson from a distance at ceremonies. Even from far away, he looked dashing in his black work suit, with his long hair touching his shoulders. His hair was brown, like Elijah's and Kol's, but his was a tad wavy. Elijah was striking in a different way. He was very suave with his hair neatly combed. Kol had the youthfulness in his looks. He had a subtle charm to his looks that made girls swoon by just a wink and flash of a smile.

To her, Niklaus Mikaelson was the black sheep in the family. Unlike his brothers, he had dark blonde hair with the blue-green eyes. When she first saw him, his eyes looked green. But as she looked at him now, his eyes were icy blue. He also stood out with his attire – Henley and jeans. His jaw line was well defined, with scruff on his face. His accent was probably the heaviest compared to his brothers.

"Now that we're all done with introductions, please tell me what brought you to the conclusion that Mayor Lockwood is a suspect?" He asked, in a haughty tone.

Caroline got the feeling he didn't appreciate her accusation. "I… umm… I watched the news this morning. Mayor Lockwood advised everyone to stay indoors or stay within their working place confinements until lunch. I mean, that sounds suspicious to me."

"For what reason?" The Sergeant hissed annoyed.

"He said Mystic Falls was supposed to experience heavy rain, but it looks like clear, sunny skies to me."

"Yes, that's right. That was the weather forecast," the blonde haired woman followed up.

"Thank you, Rebekah, for only saying this now," Klaus said, bitterly.

"Don't get mad at me, Sergeant. I'm a forensic investigator, not a detective, but it looks like your new detective is better than your other two," she replied, smirking at him.

"Hey, since her and I are partners, I get 50% of the credit," Kol said, greedily.

"Shut it!" Klaus snapped at him. "Pierce, wrap the body up for further investigation. Check for any prints. Rebekah, help Katherine out," he instructed the two forensic investigators. He turned to his detectives. "Donovan and Kol, come with me to the Lockwood mansion."

"What about me?" Caroline asked, raising her hand like a student in school.

Sergeant Mikaelson released a deep breath. "You too, Forbes."

Caroline smiled at her Sergeant, but she only received a grimace from him. Clearly, he didn't like her. Was it because she was a woman? The only woman detective on his team? If so, that was very sexist of him.

"Let's go," Sergeant Mikaelson ordered.

Matt and Kol followed after Niklaus, and Caroline was about to follow when she accidently slipped, letting out a yelp when her butt made contact with the grassy ground.

Her team members looked back at her. Matt and Kol offered her help to stand up again, but she refused. She took note of her Sergeant's disapproving look. It wasn't her fault the grass was slippery, but then again, she was a bit of a clumsy person sometimes. Luckily, her accident didn't tamper with the crime scene.

"Hurry up," Sergeant ordered again turning his back on her.

* * *

A maid answered the door, and let the police in. She guided them to the Mayor's home office on the first floor. He didn't seem surprised to see them. In fact, he welcomed them in.

"Hello, officers, how can I be of service?" Mayor Lockwood greeted them, still sitting behind his desk.

"We just have a few questions to ask," Matt asked, generously.

"Of course. Ask away," he replied, smugly.

Caroline rolled her eyes. She grew up with Tyler, but her family and his never got along, due to a lot of political and law enforcement disagreements.

"Do you admit to releasing a broadcast this morning, advising everyone to stay indoors due to the forecasted heavy rainfall?" Klaus asked.

"Yes. I did," he admitted.

"For what reason?" Kol asked, sounding a little mad.

"I was warning the town. Cautioning safety. I _am_ the mayor, after all," he replied, smiling at them with a smugly.

It made Caroline scoff loudly, which drew attention from her Sergeant's disapproving glare.

"Are you aware of the sunny weather, Mayor Lockwood?" Klaus followed up.

"No. I've been buried in paper work," he answered, tapping his hands on the stack on his desk.

Caroline noted that the blinds were closed, allowing no sunlight to pass through his office. She walked around the room, allowing the others to question the mayor further. She was about to walk toward her team and the mayor when, she accidently tripped, slipping on something, causing a loud thud to the hardwood floor. Her team members looked at her, with a displeased expression. The Sergeant dragged a hand down his face, with a fuming look at Caroline.

She looked back on the ground and was about to get up, when she saw something strange wedged under a chair – the item that caused her to slip. She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket before grabbing the item.

"Was it this?" Caroline asked, holding up a black metal pistol.

"Can you explain why you have a gun just laying around in your office?" Klaus asked.

Tyler's eyes widened at the sight of the gun. It seemed like he was just as shocked to find it his office as they were.

"That's not mine! I swear!" Tyler confessed.

"Oh really? Then who does it belong to?" Kol asked.

Tyler looked away. He wasn't going to admit to them who the gun belonged to at this moment. The Sergeant ordered Caroline to put the gun in a Ziploc and give it to forensics when they got back to the station. He also ordered the Mayor to be brought to the station for further questioning in front of a camera.

* * *

When they got to the station, Matt and Kol escorted the mayor to the interrogation room. Meanwhile, Klaus stormed over to Elijah's office. Caroline followed him to ask him where the forensics lab was located, but he shut the door in her face.

"Sergeant, I've got phone calls coming in saying you have taken the mayor to the station for further questioning?" Elijah noted, putting down his phone from the last phone call, before pressing the off button on his phone.

"Lieutenant, can I ask you why you placed a newbie on my squad?" Niklaus asked, changing the subject.

"The Captain recommended that she be transferred to the homicide department." Elijah answered nonchalantly.

"But Finn _never_ said to put her on my squad!"

Elijah sighed. "You're right. He didn't. I decided to put Detective Forbes on your squad, and it seems like it was the right call."

"Right call?" Niklaus repeated, in a mocking tone. "She slipped up, literally,_ twice_ today! Once at the crime scene and once at the Mayor's house. I can't have someone on my team that requires my full attention. I am not a baby sitter, Elijah! I refuse to have newbie's on my team!"

"Well, from the report Donovan sent in, she seemed to get your squad to where it is now. She suggested the Mayor and she also found the weapon."

"That's beside the point, Elijah! I just don't think she's –"

Niklaus was interrupted by a knock, followed by the door opening by none other than, Detective Forbes.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you all, but I don't know where the forensics lab is," Caroline said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

She overheard their conversation from outside the door. She could barely hear Elijah, but she could hear the Sergeant perfectly clear, since his voice was raised.

Elijah gave her a small smile. "Niklaus, will you please show Detective Forbes where to find the forensic lab?"

Klaus dragged a hand down his face, and let out a groan. He walked past Caroline, without a word, and expected her to follow. She gave Elijah a nod before following her Sergeant to the forensic lab, which was located in the left wing of that floor.

When they reached the room, he pointed at the sign that read "Forensics Lab" on top of the door. She gave him a small smile of gratitude, but he ignored it and walked back to his desk. She didn't know why he didn't like her so much. Was it because she was a newbie?

She pushed those thoughts away, before letting herself into the lab. The lab was a huge white room, with different sections. It was a lot bigger than their little office of desks, but that made more sense, since the officers spent more time outside, than at the0ir desk. She saw the blonde and brunet from the crime scene earlier. They were analyzing the woman's body from earlier. Caroline walked up to them with a friendly smile.

"Hi, Sergeant Mikaelson told me to give this to the forensic lab," she said, holding out the gun in the Ziploc bag.

"Set it there," Katherine instructed her.

"You're new right?" the blonde asked.

Caroline nodded.

"I'm Rebekah Mikaelson, and this is Katherine Pierce, the lead forensic investigator. I'm her partner," the blonde said, with a cheerful smile.

"Mikaelson? You're a Mikaelson, too?" Caroline wondered.

Rebekah gave a small laugh. "Yes, unfortunately. I'm the only girl in the family. You've already met my siblings, Captain Finn, Lieutenant Elijah, Sergeant Niklaus, and Detective Kol?"

Caroline nodded. "Except I've never formally met Captain Finn. I've only seen him in ceremonies."

"Ahh, yes. My brother is busy making sure all the departments are running swell. He keeps everything in order. We barely see him. Only at our monthly family dinners."

"So is it the norm in the homicide department to address people by their first names?" Caroline asked. Usually officers addressed people by their last name.

"It's the norm for the Mikaelson family," Katherine answered. "There's five Mikaelson's and it gets confusing. It's easier to call them by their first name, but it's a good thing they have different positions."

"I hear your first day has been going great, Miss Detective," Rebekah said.

Caroline smiled coyly. "Yeah. It's been great, except… well… Sergeant Mikaelson… I… I don't think he likes to me," she admitted.

Katherine and Rebekah shared a laugh, which brought Caroline to confusion.

"Am I missing something?" Caroline questioned them.

"Don't be offended. He gives everyone a hard time," Rebekah reassured her.

"Yeah, and he holds grudges, so your slipping incident earlier… best believe he'll hold that against you," Katherine told her.

"Great!" Caroline replied, with sarcasm.

"You should come out for drinks at the bar tonight," Rebekah suggested.

"Sure," Caroline agreed.

* * *

Caroline watched two little monitors that recorded the questioning. Mayor Lockwood sat on one side, and Sergeant Mikaelson sat on the other. Klaus tried getting any information that would prove Mayor Lockwood was guilty, but he couldn't find anything. Mayor Lockwood had an alibi for everything. Klaus got frustrated and sent Donovan in, but even he couldn't crack the Mayor. He tried acting all buddy-buddy with him, but that failed. That left Kol and Caroline. They walked into the room together and Mayor Lockwood had a smug smile on his face that made Caroline roll her eyes.

"So you have no idea who owns the gun?" Kol asked.

"I've already answered that," Mayor Lockwood answered. "No, I do not."

"Last night, you said you were at the grill with Jeremy Gilbert, correct?" Kol asked.

"Correct," Tyler answered.

Caroline's eyes widened. Jeremy Gilbert was her best friend's little brother. She must have missed this part of the interrogation when she was in the forensics lab. As the name processed in her head, she remembered seeing Jeremy playing games in the living room last night, while she and Elena were cooking. Tyler couldn't have been with Jeremy.

"What time were you with Jeremy Gilbert?" Caroline asked.

Mayor Lockwood shrugged. "I'd say from 6 to 9. After the grill I went straight home to rest. My maid can attest to the time that I arrived home."

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. He was lying. Caroline was at the Gilbert house from 6-10, and Jeremy was glued to the couch, playing video games, the entire time.

"You're lying!" Caroline accused him.

"Excuse me?" Mayor Lockwood responded.

"You weren't with Jeremy last night. You're lying!" she yelled. "How _dare_ you use Jeremy as your alibi?! You have got some nerve! You didn't like Jeremy in high school. You two aren't buddies!"

Caroline wanted to continue but the door opened. Matt walked to Kol, while Klaus grabbed Caroline's elbow and pulled her out of the room.

"Let me go!" She yelled, hitting his arm with her free hand.

Before Matt closed the door, Caroline got a shot of Tyler's smug smile. She wanted to slap that smug smile off his face.

"Let go of me!" Caroline shouted, even though they walked past people.

He didn't respond or reply, but his grip around her elbow got tighter, until they entered an empty room that was used for conferences. He let go of her to shut the door. His back faced her.

"Why the hell did you do that?!" Caroline demanded.

Klaus slowly turned around with a furious expression on his face. "What the hell was that, Forbes?"

"He was lying –"

"You need to control yourself," Klaus said through gritted teeth. "I cannot have my detectives jumping out at the people we interrogate. I don't need you messing up any lead we have!"

"I'm sorry, ok. But Jeremy is my best friend's little brother and he was – "

"You need to learn to not mix your personal and emotional attachments with your work!" he yelled. "If you can't control your temper then I can't have you –"

"No!" Caroline interrupted him. "Please, don't take me off this case."

Klaus released a deep breath. He knew he couldn't remove her off his squad that easily. The Captain and Lieutenant would give him the hardest time. He pressed his lips into a hard line.

"Look, I know for a fact that he's lying. He –"

"How do you know that?" He interrupted her.

"I was at the Gilbert house last night from 6-10. Jeremy's older sister, Elena, is my best friend. We were in the kitchen cooking and Jeremy was on the couch the entire time I was there. He never left. Tyler is lying!" Caroline explained.

"We'll question him further about it. I don't want you in that interrogation room for the rest of the day," was the last thing he said to her before leaving the room.

* * *

**Who will be at the bar?  
What will happen at the bar?  
Will Caroline help her friends?  
Will Klaus stop giving Caroline a hard time? **

**Stay tuned to find out!**

* * *

**Please leave reviews.**

**Let me know if I should continue.**

**I'd love to hear some feedback or constructive criticism.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Just a warning, I changed the geographical setting of Mystic Falls. Other than that, Enjoy! :) **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The day was filled with interrogating the mayor, but he refused to spill anything. Kol and Caroline wanted to keep him in custody, but they weren't allowed since they didn't have enough evidence on him. Mayor Lockwood was free to go by 6 PM. Klaus wanted to bring Jeremy and Elena into the station for questioning, but the two left town earlier that morning to go to a concert in Atlanta, Georgia. They would be gone for about three days. Their squad was forced to search elsewhere.

After showering at home, Caroline got into her car and drove to the Mystic Falls Grill. She wore a pair of jeans and a nice white tank top that showed an appropriate amount of skin. On her feet were her favorite black leather knee high boots. She was a bit nervous to go, mainly because she had no idea who would be there.

When she walked into the bar, her co-workers were easy to spot. They were the loudest ones at the bar. She saw Rebekah enjoying herself, laughing her ass off at some joke. Kol seemed to play the court jester for the evening. Matt leaned against the bar, laughing with a beer bottle in his hand. Katherine seemed content just drinking a beer and laughing with only a smile.

"Caroline!" Rebekah beckoned when she saw her walk toward them.

Caroline smiled back as she approached them. "Hey guys."

Katherine gave a small wave, while Matt gave a nod.

"Hello, darling," Kol greeted her.

"Did I miss anything?" Caroline asked them.

"Not at all!" Rebekah answered. She seemed a lot looser than at work, probably due to the alcohol filling her bloodstream at the moment. "We started off with just a few beers until everyone came."

"Oh, who else is coming?" she wondered.

"Elijah and Nik…"

"Nik?" Caroline asked.

"Sergeant Mikaelson," Matt answered. "Only family members call him Nik. Everyone else calls him Klaus or Sergeant."

"Elijah's not coming. He had a headache and went to bed early," Katherine informed everyone.

"What about Nik?" Rebekah asked.

"Who knows? Brother _never_ likes to come drink with us. Tonight is no different!" Kol responded.

"Whatever then. Let's drink our beers, have some calamari, and play pool and darts!" Rebekah exclaimed, before ordering a round of beers for all of them.

The night started with just a few beers and calamari. They all shared stories of whatever happened in the department before Caroline started working. When Rebekah wasn't smiling, she looked like the typical blonde bitch, holding her nose up in the air, acting snotty, but she's actually not. Caroline was relieved to find out Rebekah was the friendliest. Kol was the clown of the group, just as she speculated. Matt was more conservative and not too greedy with his laughter. He came off as a kind person. It was hard for Caroline to imagine him holding a gun, let alone firing one. Katherine made snarky remarks every now and then. At first, Caroline was offended by some of the playful insults she'd say, but never let it get to her. On her third bottle, she realized that Katherine looked similar to her friend, Elena. Elena mentioned she had a distant cousin working at the department, which Caroline presumed to be Katherine. Their resemblance was uncanny.

"Caroline, you're very good at darts." Rebekah praised.

Caroline smiled. "Thanks. I need good aim to fire a gun," she replied.

Rebekah staggered along the pool table, nearly falling over.

"Are you ok?" Caroline asked, concerned.

"My sister's a tab bit of a light drunk," Kol spoke up.

"I'm fine," Rebekah said, trying to stand upright.

"We should probably go, before she gets wasted and can't work tomorrow," Katherine said, grabbing her bag. "Then Klaus will be on my ass about not getting the reports finished on time."

"Klaus is always on you about getting things done," Matt reminded her.

"He forgets that test results take time to come in," Katherine said, walking toward the exit.

Caroline followed, with Matt helping Rebekah, and Kol strolling along side.

"Klaus doesn't like you either?" Caroline asked Katherine.

"He just doesn't like the _sight_ of me." Katherine corrected her.

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. What did she mean by the _sight_ of her?

"You're a walking-talking reminder of his biggest mistake, Katherine. What do you expect?" Kol asked Katherine.

Caroline felt completely out of the loop. Klaus made a big mistake? He didn't seem like the type, judging from the condescending look he always gave her. She always felt like he was judging her, waiting to see her fall, literally and figuratively.

Katherine is a reminder of Klaus' mistake. Did they have something together? Were they dating? Was she the one who turned him cold-hearted, if he wasn't already like that?

Katherine rolled her eyes. "He honestly shouldn't blame himself for T –"

"Enough!" Rebekah interrupted Katherine. "Let's not bring _her_ up tonight."

_Her?_ Caroline pondered whom they were talking about. She wanted to know, but they obviously wanted to keep it to themselves. But Caroline was a very curious person and she made a mental note to find out anything she could about whomever they were talking about. For now, she'd play it cool.

"Let's get going," Matt said, picking Rebekah off the ground.

He carried her like a baby and set her down in the passenger seat, while Kol hopped onto the bed of the truck. The Mikaelson mansion was on the way to Matt's house. Katherine was the first to leave in her red Camry. Caroline waved bye at Matt, Rebekah, and Kol as they drove off.

While driving down the road to her house, she spotted a black mustang parked across the gates to the Lockwood mansion. The car was hidden behind trees, and the dim lighting made it hard to see, but Caroline had an eye for catching things.

She turned her headlights off and pulled into the side. She drove past the car and then made a U-turn around, to pull up behind the black mustang. Quietly, she exited her car and walked around the side of the mustang. As she neared the car, she recognized the man sitting in the car. She knocked on the passenger window and the man inside unlocked the doors. Caroline took it as her cue to get in.

"What are you doing here, Sergeant?" Caroline asked him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Klaus replied. "And do I smell alcohol on your breath?"

Caroline covered her mouth in response, embarrassed. "I had a few beers at the grill. I was on my way home. I'm not drunk, or anything."

Klaus didn't respond. He kept his eyes at the gates, across the street.

"Why are you here?" Caroline wondered.

"Stake out," Klaus answered.

"For who?"

Klaus pointed at the mansion. "Is that really a question?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Anything suspicious?"

Klaus stayed quiet, ignoring her question. His eyes still on the gates.

"Seriously?!" Caroline exclaimed. "You may not like me, but I'm on your squad, and you need to disclose any information with whatever case we're working on."

Klaus groaned. She was right. "A black SUV entered the gates at 8:34 PM, but they still haven't left. Tinted windows. Strangely enough, the vehicle had no license plate."

Caroline looked past the gates, hoping to see anything. The pathway up to the mansion was lit and Caroline remembered there were security cameras set up all around the mansion, making it hard for anyone to pass through unseen.

Thirty minutes passed in complete silence. Their eyes were glued on the gates for any movements or anything. Cars pass through the streets, like any normal night. There was no suspicious behavior. No one spotted them, hiding behind the trees. Caroline's car was further back, and Klaus' car was as black as the night. The silence made Caroline uncomfortable. She loved talking to people, but Klaus wasn't much of a talker. Plus, she got the feeling he didn't like her.

"You don't like me, do you?" Caroline asked directly, breaking the silence.

Klaus pressed his lips into a hard line. "I do not see why it matters whether I like you or not."

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "It's obvious you don't like me. I know you don't."

"If that's so, then why do you need a confirmation?" he asked, shutting her down.

He was so hard to talk to. She was actually surprised that he didn't kick her out of his car by now. He reached for his coffee cup and took a sip. A cup of coffee would get rid of the sleepiness sneaking up on Caroline. Before setting the cup of black coffee into the cup holder, he stopped and took his eyes off the gates for the first time.

"Would you like a few sips?" he asked, holding the thermos out to her.

"No, thank you," she replied, being too shy to accept his offer.

"Nonsense. You've been yawning and you've had enough beers to put you to sleep. Drink some coffee," he told her, extending his hand further.

Caroline gave a small sigh, before grabbing the thermos, and taking a sip. Why couldn't he be nice like this all the time? It would make things a lot easier. He seemed less tense at the moment, and she hoped this moment would last. She scrunched her nose after the coffee went down her throat.

"You take your coffee black?" Caroline asked, tasting the bitterness on her tongue and throat.

"Sugar and cream takes away the flavor of the coffee beans," Klaus stated, as a matter-of-factly.

Caroline was about to say something, when car lights appeared coming down the path, exiting the mansion. The gates opened, and out came the black SUV with no license plate.

"Buckle up," Klaus said, turning on his ignition.

The black SUV turned left, and headed in the direction of the town square. Klaus pulled out of the trees, and onto the streets. He drove behind the SUV making sure to keep an appropriate amount of space in between. Caroline tried to see through the windows, but they were too tinted to see anything.

Klaus and Caroline followed them, through the town. The SUV made no stops and continued driving pass the town square and on the path away from Mystic Falls. Instead of staying on the road with streetlights, the SUV turned into the forest. Klaus assumed the SUV knew they were on their trail.

They went deeper in the forest, weaving through trees. Only the car headlights and the moonlight guided them through the dark forest. All of a sudden, the back seat right door opened and a man dressed in all black with light skin aimed a gun at Klaus and Caroline. Klaus tried to dodge the bullets, by jerking the wheel to the right. The man continued to shoot bullets at windshield, making cracks. It was difficult for her both of them to see, so Klaus punched through the windshield, breaking the glass for a better look. He lowered down one of the windows and removed the hood of his mustang convertible.

"Take the wheel!" Klaus shouted at Caroline.

Caroline nodded and put her hands on the wheel when Klaus took his off. Thankfully, she knew how to drive standard. She hopped onto the driver seat, and Klaus put his feet on the car door, holding onto the frame of the windshield for grip. Klaus pulled out the gun on his left chest holster and aimed it at the guy.

Caroline was impressed with Klaus' aim. The bullet penetrated through the man's shooting arm, forcing the guy to stop shooting at them temporarily. Caroline tried to keep up with the SUV but it was difficult, since Klaus still had his foot on the gas pedal and she was only controlling the steering wheel. Thankfully there weren't that much trees around them.

Klaus shot again, but this time at the glass window of the back door. His purpose was to break through the glass and have a glimpse of whoever was in the SUV. Shockingly, the glass window did not shatter. The bullet bounced off the glass, and Klaus realized the windows were bullet proof. He aimed lower, at the body of the SUV, and the bullet did the same thing. The SUV was entirely bullet proof.

Another man opened the left door, and Caroline gaped at the man, with light skin, black hair, blue eyes, and his infamous smirk. It wasn't Tyler Lockwood. The man aimed a gun low, and shot at the left front tire forcing Caroline and Klaus to stop. As the SUV drove away, the man waved bye with his stupid smirk. Klaus got out of the car, and shot at them again, but they jetted too fast.

Caroline took her hands off the wheel and sat in the passenger seat, watching Klaus. After putting his gun back into its holster, he made a fist with his right hand and slammed it into his left palm. He let out a frustrated groan.

"We can still go after him, if you have a spare tire. I know how to change a tire and we can –"

"Forbes, do you know anything about police department limits?" he interrupted her.

Caroline wrinkled her forehead. "What are you talkin –"

"Even if we continue to follow them, once they hit the interstate, they're no longer in our jurisdiction," he interrupted her again to explain.

Caroline rolled her eyes. He had a thing for interrupting her. She wondered if he did that to everyone, or maybe just her. Klaus went to his trunk and pulled out the tools he needed to change his tire.

"Do you need some help? I –"

"No," he interrupted again.

Caroline scoffed, and crossed her arms over her chest. She stood back, watching him change the tire. He had to roll up sleeves of his Henley, which allowed Caroline to have the perfect view of his toned, defined arms. When he finished, Klaus drove back toward the mansion to drop Caroline off at her car. When they neared the mansion, there were no signs of anyone lurking around. As Klaus pulled up in front of her car, Caroline's jaw dropped.

She got out of the mustang to have a better look at her busted car. The windshield was cracked by two bullets, and all four wheels were slashed.

"Who the hell did this?!" Caroline asked, rhetorically.

"My guess is an acquaintance of the SUV band," Klaus answered. Caroline wasn't aware that he got out of his car. She was too distracted by her wrecked car. "They probably knew we were hiding here and waited until we left to destroy your car."

"Fucking Damon!" Caroline exclaimed, kicking her flat tire. "I am going to kill him!"

"Damon? Who is Damon?" Klaus asked.

"The guy who shot your tire. I had a feeling he was wrapped up in this. I always knew he was a bad guy. He always went hunting and kept a lot of guns in his house. It was only a matter of time until –"

"Wait a second," he interjected. "You know one of the men in the SUV and choose only _now_ to tell me?!"

"Well, every time I talk, you always interrupt me!" she defended.

Klaus approached her. "Don't fuck with me, Forbes. Next time you learn or know any crucial information to the case, you come straight to me and tell me!" he yelled. "Understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir," she replied, sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back to him. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"What are you doing?" Klaus asked her.

"Calling someone about my car," she answered.

Klaus walked up to her and snatched her phone from her ear.

"Hey! I was using that! You can't just do that!"

"You're not going to get any car service at this hour. I'll drop you off to your place. Where do you live?" Klaus asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Her annoyance with him was building, but she needed a ride to get to her place for the night, and he was her only option. In the car, she kept her eyes on the road, with her arms crossed over her chest. She only spoke to him when giving directions.

"So, who is Damon?" Klaus asked, driving along the path.

"Remember my friend, Elena? Well, her boyfriend is Stefan, and his older brother is Damon," Caroline explained.

"You said you always knew he was a bad guy. How?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. I felt it in my gut when I first met him."

"What's his connection to Mayor Lockwood?"

"To be honest, I have no clue. The two guys with the smuggest smiles happen to be conspiring together. I'm not as surprised. But I don't know what their motive is."

"We'll have to figure that out tomorrow."

Klaus slowed as he pulled into the driveway of Caroline's tiny house. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car.

"Thanks," she told him, before shutting the door and walking into her home.

* * *

Caroline woke up the next day, recalling her first day as a homicide detective yesterday – from the morning through night. She wasn't expecting to go through all of that on her first day. She got ready for work, but remembered that her car was still parked across the Lockwood mansion. Her only option was riding her bike to the station. She hurriedly took a shower and threw on her uniform. There was no time for breakfast. She had to leave now, before she'll be late.

She opened the door and walked down the steps, until her eyes looked up to find a black slick sedan parked in her driveway with a man in a suit holding the backdoor open.

"Detective Forbes," the man called out.

"Yes, and you are?" she responded, as she approached him.

"Sergeant Mikaelson sent me to give you a ride to the station this morning," the man explained.

Caroline shrugged and got into the car. She might as well get in. It saved her the trouble of riding her bike down to the station and riding it back.

On the drive to the station, Caroline wondered why Sergeant Mikaelson offered her a ride to the station. She certainly wasn't expecting him to be so kind, especially since he only showed disdain for her, so far. Maybe she was judging him too harshly. He was kind enough to hire someone to drive her to work.

She passed the Lockwood mansion and noticed her broken car parked buried within the forest. She was not prepared for the stake out and the repercussions along with it. The part of her that had to pay to fix her car regretted partaking in the stakeout, but the other part – the stronger part – was glad she took part in it. If she didn't, they wouldn't have another person of interest, Damon Salvatore.

* * *

When Caroline got to her desk, she noticed Klaus wasn't at his. Was he always away from his desk? She set her bag down, and felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around and found Matt standing behind her with a warm smile. She still questioned if he really belonged here as a cop.

"Briefing in five minutes," he told her.

"Ok." She nodded.

"You get home ok last night?" he asked, like any other concerned friend.

_Yeah, I just staked out the Lockwood mansion with Sergeant Klaus and chased a black SUV with no license plate. Not to mention, the guns they fired at us, wrecking Klaus' car and my car_, Caroline answered in her head.

"Yep," she said, with a reassuring smile. "Is there coffee in the kitchen?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Freshly brewed. You should get some before it runs out."

Caroline grabbed a quick cup of coffee before heading into the briefing room. Rebekah and Katherine sat in the middle, talking about some new hair product Katherine started using. Matt sat there quietly sipping his coffee, while Kol just stared blankly at the wall in front of him. Caroline sat down and tried to avoid looking at Klaus, but it was hard. He sat in the far right corner of the room, next to the screen, facing everyone.

The last time she was in this room, he was scolding her like she was a child. The memory made her roll her eyes. He ignored her like they didn't spend the night getting shot at yesterday.

"Good morning, everyone," Elijah greeted them, as he entered, making sure to shut the door behind him.

He walked to the front of the room to stand next to the screen, opposite of Klaus.

"Any other leads on Piper Reid's murder?" he asked everyone.

Katherine rose her hand up before standing. "We checked Piper for any prints on her skin or her clothes, but we got nothing. If the shooter touched her, he or she was wearing gloves. Luckily, Rebekah found a note stuffed in her pocket."

Katherine stopped to put the note on the projector, to display it on screen. The note read, "Piper is only the first of many to come."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Kol asked.

"I believe that's for all of you to find out," Elijah answered. "What about the gun?"

"The prints should come in tomorrow," Katherine answered.

"Piper Reid just moved here from Wyoming. She's been here for a month, and hasn't been associated with any bad people or bad habits," Klaus informed everyone. "She has no family or relatives in the area."

He went on to explain the stake out last night. Keeping his description short, he didn't mention Caroline's participation in the stake out. Caroline wondered silently to herself, but tried not to act offended in front of him. Surely, he had a justified reason as to why he didn't include her name. But she couldn't stop herself from wondering why.

"Mayor Tyler Lockwood, Jeremy Gilbert, and Damon Salvatore are all persons of interest," he said, bringing their pictures on the screen. "We've already questioned the Mayor and he barely had anything to say."

"Why can't we arrest him to keep him longer?" Kol asked.

"That would alert the media and send a panic through the town. A lot of people would question the government and law enforcement. We don't want to deal with that," Elijah answered.

"Additionally, if we arrest him he will probably hire his attorney and only speak through his attorney. Even under arrest we're only allowed to keep him in questioning at a maximum of 48 hours," Klaus followed up.

"So what's the plan?" Matt asked.

"Since we've reached a stump with the Mayor, I suggest we look into Jeremy Gilbert and Damon Salvatore," Klaus answered. "Also, we need to find any connection Piper has with any of the three and hopefully find the reason behind her murder."

"Very well," Elijah nodded. "Do whatever you can to bring those two in for interrogation."

Elijah walked out of the room, indicating the end of the briefing.

Rebekah, Katherine, Kol, and Matt followed Elijah out the door, leaving Caroline alone with Klaus. She observed him as he put away the projector and the screen.

"Thanks for the ride last night, and this morning," Caroline said.

"Jason is a family driver. It was not trouble," Klaus replied.

"Why didn't you mention my name last night?" she asked.

"I didn't see how that was important," he answered, not bothering to turn around.

"You wouldn't have known the guy was Damon Salvatore if it wasn't for me!" she pointed out, a little louder.

Klaus turned on his heel slowly, with a stern expression on his face. "I didn't ask you to join me, Forbes."

"That doesn't matter!" she yelled. "I –"

"Listen, Forbes, do not forget who I am to you. I am your commanding sergeant," he said firmly. "I want you to forget about your part in it."

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows at him. Why did he want her to forget about her part in it? What was he up to? She released a sigh, trying to let this go.

Matt knocked on the open door. "Guys, there's been another murder in the town square."

"Let's go," Klaus said, leaving the room.

* * *

**What is Klaus' biggest mistake?**

**What does it have to do with Katherine?  
Why does Rebekah want to keep it a secret?  
Why is Mayor Tyler Lockwood affiliated with Damon Salvatore?  
Why did Klaus decide to keep Caroline's name out?  
What will they discover at the crime scene?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

* * *

**Please leave reviews.**

**Let me know if I should continue.**

**I'd love to hear some feedback or constructive criticism.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you all for reading this story and leaving reviews. It really warms my heart to hear your thoughts.**

**Also, want to give a huge thank you to my beta, Hana. She always does a terrific job at beta-ing my chapters.**

**Enjoy!**

**Don't forget to leave a review!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Caroline rode with her partner to the crime scene, while Matt and Klaus went in their own cars.

Patrol had the town square bordered, cautioning people away. There were a few things different about this crime scene from yesterday. First being, people surrounded the border trying to get a glimpse at the victims' bodies. The reporters surrounded the area with their cameras on. Caroline had to flash her shield for the first time, just to get through the crowd. Second being, there were two bodies instead of one.

"Two women, again," Kol said, pointing out the obvious.

One of the victim's was blonde while the other was a brunette. Both of the victims' had their backs to the ground. Instead of a bullet to the head, their legs were cut off in the mid-thigh section. A slash on their chest, suggested that they were stabbed in the heart, which brought them to their deaths.

"Sliced and stabbed," Kol said, motioning the swing of an imaginary knife.

"Anyone know these two women?" Klaus asked his squad.

Matt nodded. "Savannah Cot is the brunette and Gracie Hopper is the blonde. They moved here from North Carolina. They needed some help at the grocery store, so I helped them out. They introduced themselves to me, with their heavy southern accents."

"Didn't you say Piper Reid moved here from Wyoming?" Caroline asked Klaus.

Klaus nodded.

"So, what if the person or persons who killed these two and Piper Reid, are out for new comers?" Caroline speculated.

"Forbes, we don't even know if it's the same killer or killers," Klaus responded.

"It's the same location!" Caroline exclaimed, a little louder, catching the attention of everyone that surrounded them.

Klaus glared at her. He didn't need reporters seeing that the force had a detective who couldn't control her temper. "These two were killed in a different way, with different weapons, Forbes!" he shouted at her as his eyes darkened in anger.

"Gloves!" Rebekah exclaimed cheerily cutting her brother off. Rebekah arrived at the crime scene and she held a box of latex gloves.

Katherine walked around her and examined the two bodies, while everyone else put on their gloves. Caroline walked away from Klaus, not wanting to hear more from him.

"The slicing of their legs was made post-mortem. It's a clean cut, suggesting the killer was skilled," Katherine explained.

"Maybe a surgeon or a butcher?" Rebekah suggested.

"The stab to the chest killed them, by puncturing the aorta. The pool of blood implies the killer watched them bleed to death, but once the aorta is punctured, the person is as dead as doornails. Nothing can save them," Katherine continued. "Once the killer was finished, he or she sliced off their legs in an attempt- to what I assume show that they aren't an ordinary killer."

Caroline reached into the pockets of the blonde, but found nothing. She moved to the brunette's pockets and found a folded note.

"What's that, Forbes?" Matt asked as he motioned to the folded piece of paper in the blonde's hands.

Caroline unfolded the note. "1 + 2 = 3, but don't worry, there's more to kill," she read, aloud.

"Seal that into a Ziploc," Katherine instructed Rebekah. "We'll run it for prints."

"Speaking of prints," Klaus started. "Was there any on the gun?" he asked Katherine.

"Yes, but it wasn't Tyler Lockwood or that guy you mentioned, Damon Salvatore. It was Jeremy Gilbert. He's been given a DUI, which is the only reason I was able to find a matching print in the system. He's a distant cousin of mine and –"

"No!" Caroline shouted, stopping Katherine. "That can't be right. Jeremy would never kill anyone! He doesn't even own a gun!"

"The bullet in Piper Reid's head confirms it came from the gun found in Mayor Lockwood's mansion," Katherine stated.

"But –" Caroline tried to say something, but Klaus interjected.

"Body the two women. Get evidence, blood samples, and prints," he ordered Katherine and Rebekah. He turned to Matt and Kol, and said, "I want you two to start questioning these people. Find someone who knows or saw something."

"Got it, Serg," Kol replied, before walking away with Matt.

"Come with me," Klaus said to Caroline, expecting her to follow him to his car.

"Where are we going?" she tried to ask, but he didn't answer.

He opened the passenger door and said, "Get in."

Caroline rolled her eyes, but got in. She removed the latex gloves, as he slammed her door and walked to the other side. When he got in, she noticed his gloves were already off.

"Where are we going?" she asked, hoping he would answer this time.

"We are not going anywhere. You are," he replied.

Caroline looked to him. "What do you mean?"

He was really good at ignoring someone who sat just inches away from him. Today was only the second day she has known him, and she already couldn't stand him, most of the time. When she gave up questioning him, she realized they were on the path to her house.

"Why are we going to my house?" she asked as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He pulled up into her driveway, and put his car in parking.

"I'm dismissing you for the day," he said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Caroline exclaimed. "No! You can't! I've never been –"

"Forbes, must I remind you again who I am to you? Take the day off. Come back tomorrow morning."

He unlocked the doors.

"Why are you doing this?" Caroline asked, trying to hold back the tears. She has never been dismissed from work. She has never done anything wrong. What did she do?

"Do not make this more difficult, Forbes," Klaus said. He reached over to her side and opened her door.

"Ugh!" She scoffed loudly, pushing her door wide enough for her to get out.

* * *

Caroline didn't know what to do with herself at home. She wanted to go to work. Her whole life was work. She called a repair shop to pick up her car and fix it. She went to the high school with the owner of the shop, and he gave her a big discount, thankfully. Granted she got a raise in her salary by being promoted to detective, but she was still on a budget. She lived in her parent's house, because it was already paid off and all she had to worry about were the utility bills, grocery lists, and of course her own needs.

Watching TV wasn't enough to satisfy her. She reached for her phone and asked her other best friend to come over, since Elena was out of town. After ten minutes of begging, he caved and decided to come over.

His knock on the door made Caroline leap from her couch and run to answer her door.

"Stefan!" she greeted, giving him a quick hug.

"I brought pizza and scotch," he said, following her to the living room.

"I'll go grab the ice and glasses."

She walked to the kitchen, while Stefan settled onto the couch.

"So what happened?" Stefan asked when she returned.

Caroline went into animated story mode, telling Stefan everything from what happened yesterday morning to the moment Klaus dropped her off. She even told him about Damon being involved and Jeremy, too.

"You think Damon has something to with the murders?" Stefan asked her, somewhat surprised.

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know for sure. Have you… umm… noticed anything?"

She felt a little timid asking Stefan. Even though Stefan and Damon never really got along, they were still brothers.

"He told me he went camping," Stefan answered, innocently. "Are you sure it was Damon?"

"Oh, I'm sure. I can spot his stupid smirk from a mile away!"

"And Jeremy had his finger prints on the gun?"

Caroline nodded. "But I don't know. Jeremy is innocent. And when Mayor Lockwood said he was with Jeremy, Jeremy was home. Something just isn't right. What are you thinking?"

"Honestly… I expected Damon to get into some trouble," Stefan confessed. "I'm not saying it's him, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. And Tyler was always a punk in high school. If he's working with Damon, then he's jeopardizing his image as the town mayor. I mean, Damon's not the most loved person in Mystic Falls."

"But why are they using Jeremy?" Caroline asked, rhetorically.

"I don't really care as much if Damon ends up in prison. It will save me the trouble of dealing with him at home. Just do what you can to save Jeremy. Elena will be devastated if Jeremy gets mixed up in all this," Stefan told Caroline.

"I will. I believe Jeremy is innocent. He's a good kid. He couldn't possibly be involved with Damon and Tyler." She scoffed after saying their names. It felt like poison saying their names. "Please, don't tell Elena. I don't want to worry her. Not yet."

"Can you do me a favor?" Caroline asked, with her puppy dog eyes staring into Stefan's.

"What?" Stefan asked, trying not to be affected by his best friend's puppy dog look.

"Can you be my informant… about Damon? If you see anything suspicious, then tell me?"

Stefan ignored Caroline's face for a moment to think about what he would be agreeing to. Although Caroline was his best friend, Damon was his brother. Would he really turn his back on his brother to help his best friend? Then again, Damon bullied Stefan most of the time and always tried to ruin his life.

"Let me think about it," he told her.

* * *

Caroline walked into the department, holding her chin up high. Klaus' desk was empty, again. Kol and Matt were talking at Kol's desk, next to Caroline. They eyed her curiously, as she took her seat.

"Morning, guys," she greeted them.

"What did you do to Sergeant Klaus?" Matt asked.

Caroline looked to him confused. He was the one who dismissed her. She didn't do anything. "What are you talking about?" She asked the confusion evident in her voice.

"You must have pissed off my brother to have him dismiss you," Kol said. "What did you do? There's no shame here."

"I didn't do anything," she stated, firmly. "What did I miss?"

Matt and Kol told her about questioning the people at the crime scene. A man, Jason Thatcher, said he heard someone screaming last night when he left the grill. He was way too wasted and drunk to be fully conscious. He thought he was imagining it, but he couldn't let it settle. That's why he was at the crime scene the next day. Rebekah and Katherine are testing him for prints to see if it matches any on the bodies or clothes of the victims. Other than Jason Thatcher, no one knew anything. The person who reported it claimed they were opening their small convenience store when they saw two bodies lying on the ground in the town square.

"Why don't we bring Jason Thatcher in for questioning?" Caroline asked the two.

"We already did. He was too intoxicated to be aware of his surroundings," Matt answered.

"Forbes, come into my office." Elijah beckoned her over.

"Someone's in trouble." Kol taunted in a sing-song tune.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her partner. He really was a child, sometimes. When she got into his office, Elijah was already sitting on his side of the desk. He gestured for her to sit down.

"Sergeant Mikaelson told me about your dismissal yesterday," he started.

"Yeah, but I don't know what I did," Caroline defended.

"Sergeant claims that you are insubordinate and you have trouble separating work from personal matters," Elijah stated like he was reciting the explanation section of a detention slip.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I just… I don't think Sergeant Mikaelson and I work well together," she confessed.

Elijah released a sigh. "Was Captain and I mistaken by transferring you to homicide and making you detective?"

"No!" Caroline was quick to respond. She deserved the promotion. "I know it looks really bad, but I'm a great detective. I love what I do."

Elijah cleared his throat and he played with his chin. Caroline watched him, as he pondered over something.

"Very well," Elijah finally said after two long minutes. "For now, I'll let this go, but if you are dismissed again, then pack your things, because I will demote you back to vice."

Caroline nodded. "Ok. Thank you, Lieutenant."

* * *

"Kol, change your shirt!" Rebekah ordered. "You look like you just rolled out of bed."

"I did," Kol replied.

Kol and Rebekah were usually the first ones at the dinner table for their monthly family dinners. They took their seats at the farthest from the head chair, with Kol and Rebekah sitting opposite each other.

"You'll upset Finn and Elijah," Rebekah said to him.

"No, I won't."

Finn walked in and greeted his siblings with a quick kiss on Rebekah's cheek and a manly hug to Kol.

"Good God, Kol. Change your shirt," he ordered.

Kol rolled his eyes, but listened to his older brother. Finn took the head role of the family, after their parents died. He was the most level headed out of everyone at the time. Everyone else took their parent's death too hard. Since Finn took his place as the head of the family, Kol has done nothing but respect him and listen to him. He ran to his room for a quick change.

"How are you, Rebekah?" Finn asked his baby sister.

"I'm fine, Finn. How's my big brother?"

"I'm well," he answered.

"Leave it alone, Elijah!" Klaus said loudly, as he and Elijah walked into the dining room.

"I'm tired of cleaning up your acts, Niklaus!" Elijah said, sternly.

"What's going on here?" Finn questioned.

"Niklaus dismissed a great detective yesterday and I'm just trying to get to the bottom of it," Elijah explained.

"Is this about Caroline?" Rebekah asked.

"Caroline?" Finn followed.

"I just want to know the real reason why you dismissed her," Elijah defended.

"Yeah," Kol said, walking back to his seat, wearing a new shirt. "Why did you dismiss my partner?"

"I told you," Klaus said through gritted teeth. "Insubordination and disruption of focus, work, and personal life."

"Oh please, Niklaus. Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black," Elijah replied, using an American idiom.

Klaus ran a hand through his curly dark blonde hair. He walked over to his seat, which was next to Rebekah and on the right side of Finn.

"Enough," Finn finally said. "Work should not be discussed at the dinner table. Let's eat."

Elijah took his seat and dropped the discussion, for now. The maids served them with a four-course meal, alcohol drinks being one of them. They each took turns talking about their lives since last month's family dinner. Finn and his girlfriend Sage have been planning to go to England for two weeks. He wanted to show her where they all first grew up. Elijah picked up a new Rolex watch that matched with any of his many suits. Kol bragged about impressing girls at the grill, which earned him disappointed shaken heads from all of his siblings. Rebekah bored her brothers about the shopping trip she was planning to make with Katherine to the city on Sunday morning, since Mystic Falls had little variety in clothing.

"What about you, Niklaus?" Finn asked. "You seem to be quiet this evening."

"Nik is always quiet," Kol commented, jokingly.

"Nothing is new with me, big brother," Klaus answered, sarcastically.

Klaus wasn't much of a talker. He didn't like sharing anything about his life. He kept to himself. He's been this way for the past two years.

"I miss England," Rebekah admitted.

"As do I," Elijah confessed.

"Me too," Kol added.

She loved Mystic Falls, but England was her first home and it held tons of happy family memories. Working at a police department minimized the amount of vacation time they were allowed. If her older brothers weren't so invested with their work, she would probably be able to sneak a trip, but since Finn was Captain and Elijah was Lieutenant it was nearly impossible to leave without their full approval. Being a forensic investigator was an important asset for homicide cases.

"Can we take a family trip?" Rebekah asked her brother, trying to sound as innocent and cute as she possibly could.

The table went quiet for a moment. Finn had the final say in whether they could all take a family vacation, but that would be extremely difficult, considering their positions at the station.

"We shall see," Finn finally said.

Klaus set his fork down and pushed his chair away from the table, as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Finn asked him.

Klaus didn't answer, and just continued to walk out the dining room. The table fell quiet, as they heard the front door open and close, followed by the black mustang roaring out of the driveway.

"It's so hard to get through to Niklaus!" Elijah said, frustrated.

"I know Nik has been a grouch, but you know he's touchy about England," Rebekah said to him.

"He's suffered more than us, Elijah," Finn followed up. "We have to be understanding."

Elijah took a deep breath to suppress his frustration. Klaus closed everyone off. Finn, Elijah, Rebekah, and Kol were lucky to still be speaking with him, let alone living with him in the same mansion and working at the same department. Klaus was reluctant to come to America, but the five of them made a pact.

_"Always and Forever. Family Above All." _Was their motto.

* * *

Caroline heard a knock on her front door. It was eleven at night. No one visited her this late. Through her window front door, she saw Sergeant Mikaelson standing, with his hands in his pockets. She walked to the door and opened it.

"Why are you here?" She asked without greeting him.

"We need to talk," Klaus said as his eyes looked into hers.

"About what?" Caroline questioned annoyed.

"Your dismissal," He answered.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Klaus was the last person she wanted to talk to. She was relieved that there were no homicide reports that morning, so she didn't have to see him or interact with him. His desk was empty at work today, as usual. Caroline, Kol, and Matt just did research on the victims to come to some sort of reasoning for their deaths and for any connection.

"What about it?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Aren't you going to be polite and let me in?" Klaus questioned as a tiny smile appeared on his lips.

Caroline sighed, and opened the door further to let him in. He walked to the living room, but didn't take a seat on the couch. He picked up a picture frame of Caroline and her parents.

"Your mother is a sheriff?" he asked, spotting the sheriff uniform that her mother wore in the picture.

"Was," Caroline corrected him. "My parents died a while ago."

Caroline watched him. He looked at the picture frame a bit longer, and Caroline wondered why. She was about to say something, until she saw him put the picture frame back on the shelf.

"What did you find out?" Klaus asked, looking up to her.

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"What did you find out about Damon Salvatore?"

"How do you know I found something out about him?"

She never told anyone at the station. She kept it to herself. The only other person who knew, was the person who told her, Stefan. Stefan and Klaus didn't know each other…or did they?

"Just tell me, Forbes."

Caroline exhaled. She hated when he ordered her around, even if he was her superior. "Damon Salvatore said he was going to be out camping, but he wasn't home the whole weekend."

He pulled out a notepad from his pocket, and wrote something down.

"Why do you think I dismissed you?" he asked, putting the notepad away.

"I don't know," Caroline answered. "Because you don't like me!"

Klaus scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. I dismissed you, knowing you would talk to one of your friends and get some dirt on Damon Salvatore."

"How did you –"

"You're predictable, Forbes." Klaus replied, cutting her off.

"I am not!" she opposed.

"Did you get your car fixed?" he asked, changing the subject.

She looked at him strangely. If she didn't know any better, he had an attention deficiency disorder. Unless he just didn't like long conversations, because he didn't like to open himself up to people. It was hard for her to know, but she shrugged off her thoughts, and replied, "Yeah."

He pulled out his wallet from his left pocket and opened up the bi-fold square. His fingers pulled out a few green bills, and he extended it to her.

"What's that?" Caroline asked him as she looked down at the money confused.

"Money," he answered, plainly.

She rolled her eyes. "I know that it's money! Why are you giving me money?"

"To pay for the damages on your car," he answered.

"I can't take –"

"Just take it," he interjected, as he walked to her and placed the money in her hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Forbes," he told her, before leaving her home.

Caroline just stood there for a few moments, as her brain processed everything that just happened. He insulted her and then gave her money. Caroline tried to figure out what kind of person he was, because he was definitely hard to read. One moment, she hated him for being overbearing and the next moment she liked him for the kind gestures – like giving her coffee, driving her home, giving her a temporary driver, giving her money, etc. She looked at the money in her hands and counted the bills. One thousand dollars in the form of ten one hundred dollar bills.

* * *

**Will Stefan agree to be Caroline's informant?  
Are Damon and Tyler the true killers?  
Why is Jeremy's prints on the gun?  
Why is Klaus sensitive about England?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

* * *

**What did you dolls think of this chapter?**

**Reviews are very much appreciated!**

**Reviews are my motivation and muse, not an ego booster.**


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